Endless floor.



W. S. AYRES.

ENDLESS FLOOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13, 1907. RENEWED APR-14.1915. 1.14%23.

Patented May 18, 1915.

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I APPLICATION FILED MAR. I3, I907. RENEWED APR. 14, I915. 1 14mm Patented May18, 1915.

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UNTTED TATE PATENT @FFTEE,

WALLACE S AYBES, OE HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA ENDLESS FLOOR.

Specification of Letters E'atent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed March 13, 1907, Serial No. 362,170. Renewed April 14, 1915. Serial No. 21,459.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE S. AYRns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Endless Floor, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to an endless floor designed more particularly as an element of a separating apparatus of that character shown in my Patent #798,385 issued August 29, 1905, and in my copending application #362,169, filed March 13, 1907.

The separator referred to operates in a manner to separate different kinds of material in accordance with their frictional differences or angles of repose, and the present invention contemplates the employment of an endless separating floor inclined both longitudinally and laterally and arranged to be moved in an upward lateral direction away from the main stream of material assed over the table from a suitable source, so that that portion of the material having a greater angle of repose than the transverse inclination of the table will be carried upwardly out of the main stream, and thus separated from that portion of the material having an angle of repose less than the transverse inclination of the floor.

It is found that with the use of a con tinuous belt of thin metal or other material (necessarily thin in order to pass around the apron rollers) separation is greatly interfered with owing to the tendency of the belt to creep on the apron rollers and consequently to buckle the surface. Proper separation depends upon having a surface which is not affected by conditions of the character mentioned. It has also been found that a thin belt of this class rapidly wears out at its lower edge where the material is delivered and that great delays occur in making repairs, the latter being also expensive. To obviate these difliculties, and to make a more eificient and durable floor, a floor composed of slats and connections herein described has been designed wherein any one or more worn slats or connections can be removed and replaced, without removing the entire floor and with a minimum loss of time and material.

To the accomplishment of this object, the invention resides in those features of construction and arrangement to be herein described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawingsFigure '1 is an end view of my separating floor with certain of the related parts in section. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the floor on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a detail end View of a portion of the floor and of one of the sprocket wheels, the floor section to the left of the figure being shown in section. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the floor supporting links. Fig. 6 is a plan view of two connected links, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of a modified form of floor section.

Each part is designated by the same reference character in all of the views.

At the opposite sides of the apparatus are mounted in any suitable manner parallel but longitudinally inclined shafts 1 and 2. On the shaft 1 are mounted a series of spaced sprocket wheels 3, the shaft 2 being likewise equipped with a series of somewhat larger sprocket wheels 4 occupying positions corresponding with the wheels 3 so that the wheels of the respective series are paired. Around each pair of wheels 3 and 4: is passed an endless chain 5 composed of links 6 each substantially oblong in form and surmounted by a pedestal 7, commonly called an attachment, extending across the link and supported by the side bars thereof. At one end of each link is formed a hook S, or a cylindrical pin-connection as in closed-link chains, which engages the cross bar 9, or closed-link pin, of the link next in advance thereof and forms the rounded cross-piece of the link as indicated at 10 to engage one of the interdental spaces 11 of the sprocket wheels. The upper run of each chain 5 travels over a track 12 made up of a series of track sections orsurfaces 13 hingedly connected as indicated at 1A and designed to be adjusted to various angular positions by adjusting screws 15. These screws 15 are passed upwardly through bars 16 constituting elements of the separator table and against the under sides of the surfaces 13. The hooks, or pin-connections, 8 of the chains rest upon and ride along the tracks 12 so that those portions of the chains which are for the moment carried by given track sections or surfaces 13 will be caused to assume an inclination corresponding to the inclination of said track sections or surfacers. The floor proper, 17, is made up of longitudinal sections, slats, or plates 18, each of which extends longitudinally of the floor and across the chains and is supported upon corresponding links of the several chains to the pedestals of which it is secured, as by rivets 19 or other suitable retaining means.

The floor sections 18 are in the form of flat plates or slats of metal, each of which is provided at one edge thereof, and in a plane immediately below that of the slat, with a lip or apron 20, extending either the full length of the-slat or at intervals, as desired, and transversely curved concentric with the axis of the adjacent hook or pin-connection; that is to say, concentric with the axis of the adjacent joint of the chain. This lip 0r apron 20 extends under the adjacent edge of the next floor section or slat as shown in Fig. 4, and performs two desirable functions. In the first place, it constitutes a closure for the space between two adjacent floor sections so as to prevent fine particles of the material from dropping through the floor; and in the second place, it constitutes a support for the adjacent edge of the next slat, and by reason of its transversely curved form, maintains its engagement therewith at all times, regardless of whether the two adjacent slats are disposed in the same plane or in angularly related planes. Compare the two slats at the left side of Fig. 4 with the two slats at the right hand side of said figure. These lips or aprons 20 are particularly desirable, for the reason that it is necessary to leave sufficient space between the adjacent edges of the slats to permit each link to assume a greater inclination than the link in rear thereof; as, for instance, in case these links are disposed over surfaces having different inclinations. It will be seen that in order that this disposition of the slats may be accommodated, the edges of the slats must be spaced slightly when disposed in the same plane, hence the desirability of providing guards or closures for the spaces between the slats. By preference, the lips or aprons 20 are formed integral with the slats 18, but if desired, they may be formed separately as indicated at 20 in Fig. 7, and attached to the slats as by rivets or the like. Another feature of importance in the construction of these slats 18 is the beveling of their longitudinal edges, as shown at 25 in Fig. 4, at any angle, preferably however at forty-five degrees, in order that the upper edge of each slat may not present to the pieces of coal in their downwardly sliding course over the endless floor a that might engage some of them and carry them up the incline and out with the slate.

In the contemplated use of my endless floor, a guide 21 is disposed longitudinally of the floor in a somewhat oblique direction. Coal and slate are fed to the floor from a suitable feed spout 40, and as this material sharp corner passes over the floor and along the guide, the upward movement of the floor withdraws the slate transversely and upwardly from the stream, since the angle of repose of the slate is greater than the transverse inclination of the floor; whereas, the coal continues to gravitate longitudinally of the table and to remain close to the guide toward which it tends to gravitate by reason of the fact that its angle of repose is less than the transverse inclination of the fioor. By adjusting the surfaces 13, however, different portions or zones of the floor may be disposed at different angles or in different planes, and therefore, the material may be separated into various grades. It is deemed unnecessary, however, to elaborate further upon the operation ofthe apparatus, since the present invention is concerned only with the endless separating floor constructed and mounted in the manner hereinbefore described. 7

In the use of my invention I can employ the slat 18 having square or beveled edges without the lip or apron 20*, or can use an integral lip or a separate lip, as shown, and

desire it to be understood that the claims are to be construed as comprehending these modifications. 7

It is thought that from the foregoing, the construction and operation of my present invention will be clearly comprehended,but I wish to be distinctly understood as reserving the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as may come fairly within the scope of the protection prayed. V

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- I ters-Patent is;:i

1, In a separating apparatus, a pair of parallel shafts, sprocket wheels mounted thereon, endless chains passing around the wheels, slats carried by corresponding links of said chains to form a separating floor, and tracks supporting the upper runs of the chains, the adjoining sections of such tracks being relatively adjustable. v

In a separating apparatus, the combination with an endless separating floor comprising a series of slats disposed longitudinally thereof, of endless chains supporting the slats, tracks supporting the upper runs of the chains and each comprising relatively adjustable sections, devices extending longitudinally of the slats, and a plurality of adjusting members connected with said devices and bearing against such sections.

3. In a separating apparatus, the combination with a pair of longitudinally inclined shafts, of a series of sprocket wheels carried by each shaft, the wheels of one series being larger than those of the other series, endless chains passing around corresponding sprockets of the two series,slats forming an endless separating floor and each carried by corresponding links of the several chains, a track supporting the upper run of each chain and comprising sections adapted to assume various angular positions with respect to one another, and track adjusting means.

4. A separating floor comprising slats disposed side by side and having their adjacent edges beveled, said slats being inclined both laterally and longitudinally, and means for increasing the inclination of certain of the slats With reference to each other.

5. A separating floor comprising a plu- C'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the rality of edges beveled and a lip or apron extended from a beveled edge of each slat, said lip or apron being curved and the curve oilset from the upper surface of the slat and contacting at all times With one edge of the beveled surface of the adjoining slat.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affiXed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WALLACE S. AYRES.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK R. FURMAN, H. O. GLIEM.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

slats having their longitudinal 15 

